World’s First Christian Nation Breaks Tradition, Excludes Catholicos From Blessing New Parliament for First Time Since Independence

For the first time since Armenia regained independence, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II has not been invited to attend the opening session of the country’s newly elected parliament, breaking with the longstanding tradition of the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church offering a prayer and blessing for each newly formed government. The unprecedented exclusion reflects a deepening confrontation between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church in a country that takes pride in being the world’s first Christian nation.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin confirmed to The Armenian Report that, as of Wednesday, the Catholicos had not received an invitation to the inaugural session of the ninth-convocation National Assembly, which is set to open on Aug. 2.

Armenian law gives the Catholicos a formal role in the ceremony. Article 33 of the Law on the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly states that the president of the republic and the Catholicos of All Armenians have the right to deliver welcoming addresses at the opening of the parliament's first session before lawmakers take their oath of office.

That tradition has remained intact throughout Armenia's post-Soviet history, including after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, when the Mother See openly called on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign. The first session of the parliament elected in the 2021 snap elections also began with a prayer led by the Catholicos.

The apparent break with that practice follows months of escalating tensions between Pashinyan's government and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Pashinyan has repeatedly called for Karekin II to leave office, arguing that the Church leader can no longer serve as Catholicos. His ruling Civil Contract party has also incorporated that goal into its political platform, pledging to seek Karekin II's removal by 2031.

The dispute has increasingly shifted from political rhetoric to legal action. Armenian authorities have opened criminal cases against the Catholicos and several senior clergy members who support the Mother See. A number of high-ranking church officials have spent months in detention on various charges, while Church leaders have accused the government of interfering in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

It remains unclear whether another representative of the Church will attend Saturday's opening ceremony.

Former Talin parish priest Father Tade, who was defrocked by Karekin II after publicly aligning himself with Pashinyan's campaign to remove the Catholicos, declined to say whether he would take part in the event.

Asked by reporters whether he would attend the first session in place of the Catholicos, Father Tade responded: "That day will make it clear. I simply don't want to disclose any information. I think you can direct that question to the relevant office of the National Assembly."

As of publication, the National Assembly had not publicly explained why the Catholicos had not been invited or whether another representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church would be asked to participate in the opening session.

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